top of page
Search

My 16yo and 19yo Teens' Self-Directed Study Plans for High School and College - Aug-Dec 2026

Teaching kids to become independent learners is one of the foundations of our homeschool philosophy. This means that, while my kids are in high school, they pursue their own independent studies in addition to our 3x/week all-together schooling time.


Now that my daughter Alina has graduated from high school, she will no longer be joining our school time, but nonetheless she will be pursuing her own studies and has asked for some help with accountability. Here's a snapshot of independent study plans for 19yo Alina's first semester in college and 16yo Ian's first semester of his sophomore year.



Scholar Contract for High School vs. Depth Contract for College

Each semester, I meet with my teens to help them set goals and develop accountability strategies for their independent studies. Since Ian is still in high school, he has a Scholar Contract that is fairly detailed in terms of his weekly and long-term learning goals, which activities constitute Scholar Time, any changes to his overall list of responsibilities, and the plan for achieving his goals. There is more about how to create a Scholar Contract in Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning.


Since Alina has graduated, we are moving into uncharted territory and learning what will work best for her. In the TJED homeschool model we follow, Alina has now completed Scholar Phase (ages ~13-18) and is moving into Depth Phase (ages ~18-24), during which she will focus on greater depth in areas of strength and passion, prepare for life mission, and fill in educational gaps. Alina's Depth contract is purposely less-detailed and freeform as she will be self-managing her studies to a greater degree.


16yo Ian's Scholar Contract (High School Sophomore)

Ian is aiming for 12 hours of Scholar Time weekly, in addition to our 3x/week Smith School time. Accountability check-ins are important at this stage, so I will meet with him most weeknights to discuss his independent study time accomplishments and once each weekend to help him plan goals for the coming week.


Ian will be participating in a time-intensive robotics competition team as well as several other classes. He plans to take the SAT in spring 2027 so that he will be able to enroll in dual credit classes at the community college or local university in Fall 2027.


Ian will continue to pursue his passion towards all things car-related by working on our family's vehicles. My husband Ryan is teaching Ian how to perform maintenance and repairs on our cars and 4-wheelers, such as replacing spark plugs, changing oil and transmission fluid, brake work, changing coolant, changing batteries, servicing carburetors, etc.


Ian is expected to continue to follow our family's Tech Rules for Distraction-Free Education. He also has various household responsibilities and will be contributing financially to help pay for his car insurance.



19yo Alina's Depth Contract (College Freshman)

For Depth Phase, Alina will no longer have weekly goal-setting or accountability meetings with me. She will be taking several classes at the University and elsewhere, while she continues working part-time at a local flower shop.


Alina is in the process of writing a fantasy novel. She aims to work on her book regularly and asked to have book-review-feedback once per month from our family. That will help her stay on-track and moving forward with her writing. She also chose to have monthly accountability meetings with me, so we can discuss her studies and any support she needs.


Since she has graduated, Alina is no longer expected to follow our family Tech Rules, but will be figuring out to manage her time instead. Alina will continue to fulfill household responsibilities and will now be paying for her car insurance and cell phone service every month.




Liberty Scholars Program for Local Teens

Both Alina and Ian will be continuing to participate in my Liberty Scholars program. In this program, my goal is to help young adults be prepared for adulthood and leadership, with a solid foundation in US constitutional principles.


Overall, this is what the program looks like:

  • Reading two classic books per month (generally one non-fiction and one novel)

  • Participating in online discussions about our readings in a private email discussion forum

  • Attending in-person book clubs twice a month

  • Team-building enrichment activities such as shared meals, hikes, field trips, and movies


Here's our reading and activity list for the Fall 2026 semester:


History, government, and justice:

  • Ancient Rome and How It Affects You Today book by Richard Maybury

  • The Law by Frederic Bastiat

  • Mock trial intensive

    • Prepare and practice for unscripted roles as attorney, witness, defendant, or plaintiff

    • Watch real court cases at 3rd Judicial District court

    • Watch and discuss Young Mr Lincoln movie (1939) and 12 Angry Men movie (1957)

    • Perform mock trial at 3rd Judicial District court


Classics:


Personal development:


Field trips and enrichment:

  • Car oil change demonstration

  • Southern NM state fair

  • City of Rocks exploration

  • Caballo Lake

  • Additional hikes TBD



I hope this gives you some ideas for successful high school homeschooling!



Links to Amazon are affiliate links. If you use these links, your price remains the same but I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this site!

Comments

bottom of page